Details on the number of households qualified for social housing support in each housing authority area are provided in the statutory Summary of Social Housing Assessments (SSHA). The purpose of the assessment is to count the total number of households qualified for and in need of social housing support across the country on a specified date in order to inform policy and plan for the right types of housing support.
The most recent statutory summary of social housing assessments, carried out in 2016, details the number of households on all local authority waiting lists as at 21 September 2016.
The results are available on my Department’s website at the link below and include breakdowns by each local authority across a range of categories. The 2016 report also includes the results of the 2013 summary for comparative purposes:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/publications/files/summary_of_social_housing_assessments_2016.pdf
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In line with a commitment given in the Social Housing Strategy 2020 summaries are now being carried out an annual basis. I expect the results of the 2017 Summary to be available for publication in the coming weeks.
It is a matter for each local authority to determine the nature, location and relative priority of individual social housing projects and the SSHA data can be utilised to aid this process. In submitting proposals for funding to my Department in respect of new social housing projects, local authorities may include proposals for single social houses in rural areas where they have identified and prioritised such need.
Addressing our housing shortage and homelessness crisis is the Government's number one priority. The Rebuilding Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness, is focussed on increasing and accelerating housing delivery, across all tenures. The funding earmarked for the Action Plan was increased from €5.35 billion to over €6 billion in Budget 2018.
Local authorities now have substantial pipelines of new social housing projects, details of which have been published and are available at the following link: http://rebuildingireland.ie/news/social-housing-developments/ .
I am keen that local authorities advance their projects as soon as possible and have assured them that funding is available to fully support their efforts in this regard.
